


Fold

by Actually_Crowley



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Body Appreciation, Confessions, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Nudity, Strip Poker, tattoo appreciation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 03:32:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17593805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actually_Crowley/pseuds/Actually_Crowley
Summary: Newton concocts a brilliant plan to see Hermann out of his stuffy clothes.  It's just a shame he neglected to consider that Hermann might know this game better than he thought.





	Fold

**Author's Note:**

> Quick lil' thing before I get into the next chapter of N.exe

Newton regretted many things. He’d never admit it aloud to anyone but a therapist, or maybe sometimes Tendo who often acted as one, but he did. This was a regret he likely wouldn’t be bringing up to Tendo any time soon, but it wouldn’t be because Tendo wasn’t aware. By the look on Tendo’s face (amused, incredulous,  _ smug _ , that was Newt’s least favourite), he was plainly aware how much Newton regretted this particular decision.

Said decision was the one where he had successfully conned Hermann into playing a game of strip poker, hold ‘em style, in an effort to see Hermann naked. Maybe not  _ completely _ naked exactly, but he had been trying for so long to see some collar bone, or ankle on the guy. His ruse included Tendo being A. a part of the game and B. the one to invite Hermann, because he knew that Hermann could smell a trick from Newton a mile away if he were directly involved in the invitation. If it was just Tendo’s idea, it was friendly competition. It had succeeded completely. Hermann had agreed, even after he had been told that Newton was going to be a part of it,  _ and _ it was going to take place in Newton’s quarters. Newton had even broken out a decent sized folding table and stolen several extra chairs around the Shatterdome for this.

No, the regret came from the fact that Hermann had yet to lose a  _ single article of clothing_.

He knew strip poker was different from standard poker. Chips were used because Tendo had them, but if they folded before the river card, they only lost chips, not clothes. Hermann had strategically folded or just simply won with every single hand up until now. Tendo was out of his shoes and socks, his button down shirt was gone, and a hand ago, he’d lost the tank he wore beneath it. He still had his pants, suspenders still in place on his shoulders, his boxers, and he never wagered his bow tie. He looked pleased, wholly unaffected by the nudity, and happy to be here watching Newton’s entire plan come crashing down.

Newton had his boxers and socks, and a nine of spades and two of diamonds staring him down from the table. He’d lifted to peek at them several times as if willing them to be better cards, especially since the community hand offered him nothing in the way of winning. He had one pair--a pair of twos. He could push it and see if maybe he lucked out and got another, but there was no guarantee. Still, Hermann didn’t seem to be raising, and neither did Tendo. Hermann called. He probably had a shit hand, and this was his bluff. Newton would risk it.

When the last card was played, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to grin like a madman. It was another nine. Two pairs didn’t suck. The hand was over, and nobody folded. It was the moment of truth.

Tendo hissed a sigh and flipped his cards. “Don’t suppose I get much with one pair, huh?” He asked, his seven matching another seven on the table.

Newton finally let himself grin and flipped his cards over as well. “Just a little more naked, seeing as I got  _ two, sucker_,” He teased.

Hermann made a thoughtful noise. He seemed disappointed, and the pride was growing in Newton’s chest.  _ Finally_. It seemed like Hermann was about to lose that blazer. Hermann took a breath to speak. “Someone remind me,” He said, flipping his cards with a mouth pursed not in confusion, but as a means to mask a smirk. “Where does a straight fall on the rank of importance again?”

Newton’s smiled dropped. “You did  _ not_.”

The bastard had a eight and a ten. It meshed with the nine that gave Newton his second pair, as well as Tendo’s merciful table seven and a six that was just thoroughly unhelpful to anyone but Hermann. How the fuck. How the  _ actual fuck _ was Hermann this fucking good at this game?

Tendo laughed and stood up from his chair, throwing his suspenders off his shoulders. “All right, you brought this on yourself, Dr. Gottlieb.” He unzipped his pants and threw them down, revealing navy blue boxer briefs to the tune of Hermann’s (goddamn beautiful) laughter. He picked the pants up and lobbed them at Hermann, who folded and added them to his pile of winnings.

Newton groaned and pulled off his socks with dinosaur prints, his favourite pair, and rolled them together, lobbing them at Hermann’s lap. Hermann smirked pleasantly at him and moved them to the top of his pile. Newton squinted at him. “One more hand.”

Tendo gave Newton an apologetic smile. “Nah, not for me, thanks. I’m not giving up the tie, and I’m outta chips anyway.” He remained standing and instead tucked the chair back under the table.

Newton gave a squawk. “What? Come on! You got boxers, one more hand!”

“Newton, one of the rules you’ve places upon this game is the you leave the room with--or  _ without _ \-- your winnings,” Hermann reminded. “You’ve already condemned poor Tendo to walking these halls to his quarters in his knickers and bow tie.”

“I could give him a towel.”

“Nah, Hermann’s right, brother, I know when I’m beat.” Tendo gave them both a grin and bowed dramatically before standing and picking up his winnings--Newt’s belt, his shoes, and his white dress shirt. “I’ll see you cats later, huh?” He pointed at Hermann. “Make sure those pants get dry cleaned, I’m not kidding.”

Hermann snickered. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this whole thing was a ploy to get me to do your laundering.”

Tendo shrugged. “Hey, I wasn’t the one who swore he’d take ‘great care’ of any clothing I won. Get those chips back to me when you’re done, all right?” He shot them a finger gun and marched for the door, yanking it open to the surprise (and embarrassment) of a passing j-tech. Tendo grinned at her and gave Newton and Hermann one final salute before shutting the door behind him.

Newton sighed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before the sound of Hermann shuffling the cards drew his attention back down. “What are you doing?”

“We’re playing another hand, are we not?” Hermann asked, executing another perfect riffle shuffle with practiced, slim hands.

Newton scoffed at him. “Oh, okay, I’m down to straight boxers, but Tendo got to leave when he had  _ two _ things he could still bet?”

Hermann shuffled again without even looking and cocked an eyebrow at him. “We’re in your room, Newton. Your ‘walk of shame’ clause does not effect you, something I’m absolutely sure you had planned from the beginning.”

“Pssh. Planned. I didn’t plan it, I just had the table and didn’t wanna carry it far,” Newton lied.

“Then you should have no qualms playing one more round.” Hermann smiled.

Newt glared at him, but there was no heat behind it. “That smells like overconfidence, Hermann.”

Hermann rolled his eyes. “On the contrary, I have plenty of things to wager. I am not overconfident, I simply have no fear of losing.” He shuffled once more and set it before Newton. “If you’d like, you can deal this time.”

Newton took the deck and cut it once before dealing out their cards. “I don’t see why you even shuffled. We had plenty more cards for this last hand.”

Hermann peaked at the cards he received and  _ giggled_, though Newton wasn’t sure if it was in reaction to his hand or something else. “I shuffled to give you a sporting chance,  _ Newt_.”

Newt froze under the nickname and the teasing tone. That reaction was definitely not at his hand. It was at  _ him _ . “Now  _ that _ is overconfidence.”

“Perhaps.”

Newton left his cards face down for the moment, not dealing anything to the board yet, and leaned forward. “Can I, uh. Can I add some rules for this hand?”

Hermann gave him a nod and waved him on. “Of course.” He sounded  _ smarmy_. Newton kind of loved it.

Newton shifted in his seat. “Last hand, all in,” He started, and watched Hermann’s eyebrows jump, not exactly looking scared or even surprised, but instead looking intrigued and  _ impressed _ . Newton shook off how that made him feel, hoping the goosebumps weren’t obvious from across the table. “All in being everything left on you  _ and _ your previous winnings, since without ‘em, you’re just getting some boxers.”

“Right.” Hermann nodded, playing the part of the ever-present listener--the good student.

Newton took a breath. “And last rule, no folding this round. Loser is the  _ total _ loser.”

Hermann snorted and leaned his chin in his hand. “Are you sure  _ that _ isn’t over confidence? Need I remind you that you’re sitting there in next to nothing, and I’m still properly prepared to sit for dinner with the Marshal if he requested.”

“Exactly.” Newton stared at Hermann’s clothes, ready to will them off of him. If Newt won this hand, Hermann would be going from fully clothes to  _ completely nude _ , and that gave Newt the confidence to press forward with his ruling. “I’m just evening the stakes, Herms.”

“Then you may as well deal up to the river immediately.” Hermann smiled at him. “This should be a fast hand.”

“That’s the idea.” Newt met Hermann’s eyes again, the challenge set, and dealt to the board. The flop yielded two Jacks and a three. The turn gave them an eight. The river a four. None of those things were promising really, barring maybe the Jacks, but otherwise it was nearly impossible to make good on anything there. Newt took a slow breath and lifted the corners of his cards from the table.

His heart sank. He had a six and a nine--a card combination that, at any other time, would have him giggling like a school boy. There wasn’t a single fucking thing he could do with anything on that table.

Hermann’s demeanor, calm and collected, hadn’t changed once, even if he could see Newton visibly deflating. “Would you like me to go first?” Hermann tipped his cards over. Another Jack and another four stared up from the surface, netting Hermann a goddamn full house straight out of a fresh shuffle. How the  _ fuck_\--

Hermann leaned forward on the table. “If you’d like Newton, I can allow you to rescind your other rule of ‘all in’. I’ll leave you with your previous winnings, and simply take the boxers.” His tone was still teasing, but it was lighter now.

Newton sighed deeply and gripped the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. Tendo had been right; Newton really should have just asked Hermann out on a date like an adult. “Okay, can I be honest with you about something...?”

Hermann snickered. “About your hand? Or something else?”

“Something else.” Newton lifted his gaze to Hermann and held it, looking sheepish. “It was my idea to invite you to this game.”

“I’ve established that, yes.”

Newt winced. “Yeah, uh... but you didn’t establish why, and it’s hitting me now how stupid of an idea this was, all things considered, and it’s kinda-” He stopped himself and closed his eyes. Was he seriously about to have to admit feelings for Hermann  _ to _ Hermann while sitting there in his boxers? He tasted a few choice phrases in his mouth before settling on one and spitting it out. “I wanted to see you shirtless. Okay? There it is.” ‘Shirtless’ sounded a lot less creepy that ‘naked’. “It sounds- It sounds bad, I know, but it, like, you-  _ fuck _ .” Newton dropped his head to the table’s surface. Even when he tried to reign himself in, he still put his foot in his mouth.

Hermann, rather than being angry,  _ laughed again_, jarring Newton out of his thoughts. “I’m aware of that as well, Newton.”

Newton lifted his head and stared. “What? How?”

“You’ve been trying to get me to disrobe for a week. You spent the last couple of days ensuring that the lab is as hot as possible without being uncomfortable to you yourself or dangerous to your specimens. You have frequently offered to hang up my blazer, even though you  _ know _ I never shed it in a professional setting.” Hermann sounded amused and incredulous.

“Well yeah, but-“

“You asked me several days ago to swim with you while we were staying at that hotel for a conference with that other Shatterdome,” Hermann continued. “You know I don’t swim. You know I  _ can’t_.”

“We could’ve stayed in the shallows-“

“ _ Newt _ .” Hermann was smiling as he leaned forward again, prompting the very embarrassed Newton to inch back. “You weren’t exactly subtle.”

Newt bit his lip and looked down at his still hidden hand. “This was just... It was dumb, and I’m sorry I used Tendo to get you to agree to it. I’m sorry I basically tried to trick you outta your clothes.”

Hermann nodded. “I accept your apology and forgive you, Newton. Especially seeing how your ‘grand plan’ panned out so well for you.”

Newton went pink and looked down at his offending hand still on the table. “Okay yeah, rub it in. It’s Karma, right?”

“Indeed.” Hermann sat back a bit. “I do have a question for you, if you’re still being honest.”

He received a wince in response. ”...Sure. Can’t get any more candid sitting here in my skivvies.”

“Why did you do this?” With Hermann’s question, Newton went rigid. “You wanted to see me shirtless, which was your explanation for the game, and the events of the previous week. But you didn’t give me an explanation for the base need. It’s a bit like answering a question with a question.”

Newton swallowed the lump in his throat. “You sure you wanna hear this?”

Hermann’s expression was soft. It was a little jarring. “With your propensity to say everything that’s on your mind, I like to think I’m prepared for anything you might say.”

“Oh, I dunno about that.” Newt said, a nervous smile on his face. “I... I never really... got over, uh... letter days.”

Hermann’s expression grew  _ softer_.

Newton turned his gaze downward and peered at his cards again to avoid seeing the pity that was surely there. “I still like you. All right? I dunno if that was ever clear in my letters-“

“It was.”

Newton pursed his lips. Of course it was. Of course Hermann knew. Of course this unsavory attempt to put Hermann in an uncomfortable situation was only going to end in  _ Newton’s _ continued humiliation. He sighed and nodded shortly. “Right. Well, no matter how angry I got at you, that never went away, so-“

“So you thought trying to get me naked would, what,” Hermann  _ teased_, “Soften me to the idea?”

Hermann’s lighthearted response took some of the stress out of Newt, and he snorted. “I’m sort of a ‘head first, nuances later’ kinda guy.”

Hermann chuckled as well. “There was never any doubt there,” Hermann said. Then he tilted his head. “May I be honest with you now?”

Newton’s nerves returned, but he hid them the way he always did--with humour. “What, you’re not gonna get naked first?”

Hermann smiled again and ignored him. “If we’re being honest... I’d like to think my letters were as clear as yours.” And then, Hermann regarded him with an expression that said that he suddenly felt as naked as Newton was. Newton stared at him as his mind tore apart his words to make sure they meant what he was hoping they did.

Before he could devolve further, Hermann continued, glancing down at his hand. “And secondly, and most pertinently, I only accepted the invitation because I finally had the perfect excuse to find out just how far down those tattoos go.” When he looked back up, it was through long, bashful lashes. ”...You’re not the only one who had ulterior motives tonight.”

Newton did not break that eye contact. His nerves were now completely destroyed and replaced with a warmth seeping through his skin to the bone. Without moving his awed gaze from Hermann, he padded the table blindly and flipped his cards over, finally revealing his hand. “Oh no,” He said, sounding breathless. “I lost.”

Hermann’s timid smile became a smirk. “Are you going to pay up then?”

Newton stood so fast, he jarred the table and knocked the chair behind him completely over. Hermann had startled back in his chair, but he still laughed and covered his mouth in modesty. Newton wasted no more time and dropped his boxers to his ankles. In one last grand gesture, he grabbed the side of the lightweight table and threw it out of the way. The table thudded and the chips and cards scattered, but the noise was lackluster against the non-wagered laundry Newton hadn’t bothered to pick up despite knowing he would have company. But the table was out of the way, and Hermann was leaned back in his chair like someone simultaneously scandalised and  _ excited_.

Hermann took him in like someone had just taken a cloche off his favourite dessert. He let a heavier breath leave him as his gaze traced down the tattoos to his waist, where he’d known they traveled. Then he traveled shyly past his member to take in the tattoos that continued down his legs. “Goodness,” He said, potentially not on purpose. “They-... They go down rather far, don’t they...?”

“Mid thigh, baby.” Newton said. “Wanna see the back?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Hermann breathed.

Newt grinned and took a few steps forward, turning around to face away from Hermann, letting him see just how thorough his talented artist was. When he’d gone in to continue the design on his backside, he’d gone in with an apology on his lips first, but his artist already had sketches ready for him. She knew her canvas well.

And if the look on Hermann’s face said anything, he was  _ massively _ appreciative of her work. Newton peered at him over his shoulder, and Hermann had leaned forward to marvel. “Hours and hours under a needle...” Hermann’s hand suddenly lifted to his hip and scorched an imprint of itself on Newton’s skin. The heat pooled, and Newton’s arousal climbed. “You are quite resilient, aren’t you?”

“Gotta be in this line of work,” Newton said. “You’re not so bad yourself, ya know.”

He watched Hermann smile. The still-clothed man stood slowly from his chair, grabbing his cane from the back of it where it leaned, and Newt turned around to face him again. Somehow, despite their contrasting states of dress, there didn’t feel like there was any power imbalance. Hermann’s shoulders were hunched, his head settled low, his hand gripping the handle of his cane too hard, and those clothes Newton fought so hard to get off of him swallowed him--suffocated him. Newton was nude, sure, but he was just as vulnerable as Hermann was.

Hermann lifted his free hand to the side of Newton’s head, curling those long fingers behind his ear, and leaned in, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Newton closed his eyes and giggled when Hermann pulled away. “Ha-Holy shit.” He opened his eyes and lifted a hand to Hermann’s collar. “You get me completely naked, and then go in for the most innocent kiss you can. You know you missed, right, just like one more inch to the left-“

Hermann rolled his eyes and leaned back in, sure enough landing precisely where he needed to and pressing his lips to Newton’s completely. It was a long, deep kiss that didn’t even need tongue for them both to realise how much was behind it--how much built up need they’d been holding back.

Hermann pulled away again, staring into Newton’s eyes. Newt held that stare and smiled. “So wholesome,  _ Dr. Gottlieb_. Here I thought we’d be going a little heavier.”

Hermann leaned in, shifting his cane behind Newton. “You’ll forgive me,  _ Newt _ , but I don’t make a habit of ‘putting out’ on the first date.” He leaned back and took his cane with him, revealing that he’d used it to hook Newton’s boxers from the floor and lob them to his winning pile. Newton was frozen in awe of his words.  _ First date? _ “Besides. I’ve achieved my aim, and I ought to get back to my quarters.”

With that, Hermann paced away from Newton and picked up all the winnings from Newton’s pile, adding them to his. He bunched everything up in Newton’s jacket best he could and made for the door. “Thank you for the game, Newton. I enjoyed myself.” He tugged the door open and glanced back at Newton. “But if we’re still being honest, when you plan to come at me in an attempt to get the better of me, it would be best not to rely on a game that boils down to probability.”

Newton blinked at him, and Hermann smirked as he slipped out. Newton felt motion return to his limbs and he yanked a used towel from the floor, throwing it around his waist and hurrying out after Hermann. “Hey!” Hermann stopped and turned back to him. “What about the second date!?” Newt called.

Hermann smirked again. He gave him no response and continued his walk down the hall.

Newton beamed after him. “All right! Strip-twister next time! See how you like playing a game where your opponents have an unfair advantage!”

“Good  _ night, _ Dr. Geiszler,” Called Hermann as he disappeared into his room.

Newton was still grinning. He turned around and nearly crashed into a wide eyed, smirking J-tech--the one Tendo had surprised on his way out. “Op, sorry.” Sparsely populating the hall were other staff members, clearly there to see who else wandered out of the room nude, likely brought there by the word of the first tech.

That tech shrugged, eyeing him up and down. “No problem,  _ Dr. Geiszler, _ ” she said, glancing after the space Hermann had just been with a knowing arch in her eyebrow.

“Yeah, he’s cute, isn’t he?  Cute but dangerous.” Newton watched the J-tech snicker as she walked away. “Never trust that man with a deck of cards! I mean it! Words to live by!” He was ignored, and he laughed, opening his door.

Once it was shut behind him, he stared at his mess of a room. The table was still upturned, the chips and cards were everywhere, and the chairs were still sat in their formation from the game. He gave a sigh and turned his attention away from the destruction, glancing instead at his bed. He then looked down at his towel and gave a shrug, yanking it off and tossing it back to the mess he would definitely be dealing with later. Right now, he was already naked, already horny, and may as well take advantage of those facts.

Perhaps he didn’t regret as many things as he thought.

~

 

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon that Hermann has been banned from many casinos for card counting. :V


End file.
